In early February 1922, from a small ex-army hut in a field just outside the village of Writtle near Chelmsford, a small team of pioneering wireless engineers working for the Marconi company established Britain’s first regular radio broadcasting station. The call sign was 2MT (“Marconi Transmitter”), or as it soon became known to its many listeners, Two Emma Toc.
The presenter, producer, actor-manager and writer was Captain Peter Eckersley, whose regular announcement, "This is Two Emma Toc Writtle testing, Writtle testing," quickly became famous. Eckersley and his team, all engineers, developed and established most of the ground rules for broadcasting as we know it today, and in its short history – just one year on air – the station became a broadcasting legend.
In November 1922, 2MT’s sister station 2LO (“London”) was transferred to the new British Broadcasting Company. Two months later Two Emma Toc closed down, and all except one of the engineers from Writtle went to help develop the BBC. Peter Eckersley became the Company’s Chief Engineer.
The 2MT hut is now preserved at Chelmsford Museum’s Science Education Centre at Sandford Mill, along with a range of Marconi TV cameras, and a large and unique collection of marine radio representing every phase of development from Titanic-era spark transmission to compact marine sets of the 1980s and 1990s.
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Replies
Well folks I have lived all my life in chelmsford and as a kid used to travel up lawford lane (a green lane that passed by the original hut site) and been to that hut when it was on the original site.
Of course we had no idea of its significance back then and our main objectives where to either visit the dump site next door to get bike parts, passing it while walking to Hylands park or whilst heading to Writtle Mens to go fishing.
Another Chelmsfordian? How about that!
R
I'm afraid so my friend, born & bred.
i'm over on the woodhall estate these days, but originally from the chignal estate literally a stones throw from open fields so a bit of a country boy at heart ;)
I grew up on the Woodhall estate. There were fields at the end of the road then, but they're long since built over. I now live in Springfield, a couple of hundred yards from the house where I was born.
Small world!
R
Thank you!